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Artist
Joe Yamanaka
12+ albums
rockjapanesePsychedelic Rockpsychedelic70s
about
Akira Yamanaka (山中明 Yamanaka Akira, September 2, 1946 – August 7, 2011), better known as Joe Yamanaka, was a Japanese singer, known both for his work with Flower Travellin' Band and as a solo musician. He was also an actor and appeared in many movies, such as Takashi Miike's Deadly Outlaw: Rekka and the 1989 version of Zatoichi. In Japan he was known as one of the three "real tough guys" in the Japanese movie industry, along with Tsunehiko Watase and Jerry Fujio. The trio were known for being good-natured and kind, but with a rebellious past and noted fighting prowess. Yamanaka starred as himself in the Hollywood action movie Ulterior Motives featuring Thomas Ian Griffith and Ellen Crawford; three of Joe's songs were used in the film. He is also recognized for his charity and volunteer work with Japan International Cooperation Agency and flew around the world helping those in poor or war-torn conditions. His most well known song is "Proof of the Man", which sold more than 500,000 copies in 2 weeks and is a household name throughout Asian countries, although it is often called "Old Straw Hat" in Chinese areas. He was close friends with Amália Rodrigues and they together composed the song "Sorrow of Florence" ("哀しみのフローレンス"). He was also close friends with Bob Marley, and later became the lead singer for The Wailers for around 5 years after Marley died. In March 2010 it was announced that he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died from his cancer on August 7, 2011 less than a m
